Marcia Robovitsky lives in and writes about what's happening in Bloomfield Township, particularly about the township board and government.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Tonight/ Monday, Oct. 22 TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS @ 7 PM

Update at 11:10 PM Oct. 22: The public hearing for rezoning was denied with prejudice and the petitioner may resubmit documents when a tenant is determined and a site plan is submitted. The meeting may be viewed on your computer
http://www.bloomfieldtwp.org/Services/cable/Videos/BoardOfTrusteeMeetings.htmor as scheduled on cable TV. Other comments were made by me during other agenda items. I also spoke during PUBLIC COMMENT and asked four questions:

Is the Police Benevolent Fund part of the township as it stated the
township address, phone number, and police officer in charge and many
township employees participated? NO ANSWER

Why is the township hiring an Assistant Planner? NO ANSWER

Who authorized and when and how did it happen that the Public
Services Building was named and officially lettered for Dave Payne? NO ANSWER

I also asked about the financial status of the township. There was a
document mentioned at the end of the agenda. I asked if there was a
STUDY SESSION that included the trustees? Did I miss it? Dan Devine
answered that only one annual meeting is necessary and that has not
happened yet. I do question that answer and need to do some research.
Find the financial report at the end of the BOARD PACKET for the Oct. 22
meeting. http://www.minutesondemand.com/mod/index.html?client=bloomfieldtwpmi

Hi All,
Once again, the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees will be having Public Hearings at their scheduled meeting without posting the legal notice for those public hearings on their own website under "legal notices". There is (in the Board Packet) a legal notice that was made to be placed in local papers. I will assume that was done.

The first agenda item scheduled as a public hearing tonight is what I consider the most controversial. The owners of the shopping center at the SW corner of Maple and Telegraph Rd. want to RE-ZONE a 1.29 acre part of that shopping center from O-1 (Office) to B-2 (Business). The property currently has a 1962 Consent Decree that was to protect the residential area from the commercial businesses. There is no advertised or mentioned potential tenant for the building on that 1.29 acre parcel, but the owners want to change the zoning anyway. If you follow the BOARD PACKET on this agenda item, you might wonder why it is even able to be put on tonight's agenda. My conclusion: the Township is going to approve this anyway...so why bother with the proper details?

What is MISSING from the Board Packet?
Copy of the 1962 Consent Decree.
The copy of how the Township legal counsel has "amended" that decree.
Any notice that shows the subdivision residents surrounding that shopping center have been contacted.
Information if any attempt was made to engage the residents in this issue by the petitioner or the township.

The paper work in the Board Packet doesn't seem right in order for this to be placed on this agenda tonight.June 6, 2012 Design Review Board request is JUST FOR REZONING
Savoie, Roncelli and Khederian are the three members hearing this item
Below are the minutes on this agenda item: July 16, 2012 Planning Commission Public Hearing
FOR ZONING CHANGE ONLY
Goldberg, Mintz, Salz, Seneker present with Barnett and Petinga absent Savoie in audience

It is worthwhile to read the entire minutes of this meeting
but the end result was that the Planning Commission motion was to send the proposal to rezone to the Board of Trustees, but were NOT
RECOMMENDING a change to the zoning.

September 18, 2012 Back to the Design Review Board
Savoie, Roncelli, Devine
however, this time a "revised" site plan was introduced
Minutes from this meeting....Bottom line: request TABLED for township legal counsel review

October 9, 2012 Zoning Board of Appeals
Granted a variance into the 25' front set back at Maple Rd. with a 6'9" encroachment for parking in front of the Maple Theater and new coffee shop. This is the same shopping center, but not exactly the same issue. The issue gets confusing because of shared parking among the tenants...and the different zoning classification on the property. The theater and coffee shop are not part of the O-1 zoning that is being requested to be changed to B-2.

So, what does the PUBLIC have for tonight's Public Meeting?

Reports from Township departments from late May and early June 2012....BEFORE the "revised" site plan

The issue of the "revised" site plan and the request to REZONE....TABLED at the Design Review Board

The issue of REZONING...was heard by the Planning Commission...with a recommendation to the Board of Trustees to NOT change the zoning....

The issue of a SITE PLAN ....was never heard by the Planning Commission (Typically, the Planning Commission has a site plan proposal to review when considering a rezoning request)

Information that the "drive thru window" at the bank will remain; that a change to B-2 could permit a fast food restaurant; the petitioner and the township stating that they are looking for "retail" businesses; but the FACT that a fast food restaurant is permitted in B-2 and if that restaurant meets the criteria for B-2....the township can't stop it.... ie: Tim Horton's at Square Lake and Woodward)

No copy of the 1962 (sometimes referred to as 1961) Consent Decree

No copy or word as to what the Township Legal Counsel has determined or done to the Consent Decree

No sure evidence that the adjacent residential subdivision has been contacted

No evidence that the Township departments have seen the "revised" site plan

Parking issues

Landscaping issues

Plenty of opportunites for the Planning Commission and the Design Review Board to revisit this issue and bring it to the public BEFORE tonight.... but they have not. Only at the Board of Trustees meeting can this be denied or approved.

I predict a predetermined outcome of this issue...that a decision to approve the zoning change will happen tonight...and not many will care. So sad. If adults can't follow the rules and law....no wonder kids get confused.

Do you care? Show up at tonight's meeting for your three minutes of comment. Or, call the township now and express your opinion to the 3 paid officials ( the four trustees do not have a township contact). If you go to that above link...the "latest news" posted is Khederian appointed, Savoie elected and Payne retires....all that happened in August 2011. Time to update the website !) Perhaps just watch the meeting on Cable TV tonight at 7 pm. See how your 7 elected officials handle this issue.

THERE IS MUCH MORE TO THIS AGENDA TONIGHT. PLEASE REVIEW THE AGENDA POSTED BELOW.